CQUniversity Unit Profile
EDCU13021 Teaching Religious Education in a Catholic School
Teaching Religious Education in a Catholic School
All details in this unit profile for EDCU13021 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

In this unit, pre-service teachers plan for, implement and evaluate teaching and learning in Religious Education using the Religion Curriculum of the Rockhampton Diocese. You will reflect on your own understandings of aspects of the Belief strand of the curriculum and identify challenges and approaches to teaching religion and expressing religious beliefs that acknowledge classroom complexity and the diverse and pluralistic religious backgrounds of students in Catholic schools. You will justify curriculum design choices and evaluate resources for their suitability for use with a specific class. In consultation with your supervising teacher, you will implement a unit and a classroom ritual or prayer celebration. Following planning and implementation, you will evaluate stakeholder responses to the images and language of God embedded in your planning and the construction of genres for worship, celebration and prayer experiences that reflect the beliefs and practices of the wider faith community.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 3
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 7
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

There are no requisites for this unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 2 - 2020

Mixed Mode

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 50%
2. Presentation and Written Assessment
Weighting: 50%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student evaluations

Feedback

Assessment was practical and relevant to classroom practice

Recommendation

Maintain practical focus of assessment tasks

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Evaluate the impact of resources, support networks and teachers’ personal and professional knowledge base on approaches to teaching religion and expressing religious beliefs in Catholic schools
  2. Design, implement and evaluate a unit of work for a specific class using local diocesan curriculum documents
  3. Justify planning decisions and strategies for teaching religion that are responsive to classroom complexity and the pluralistic religious backgrounds of students
  4. Reflect critically on student engagement, learning outcomes and the design of a class religious ritual and its celebration as a symbol of the beliefs and practices of the faith community of the Catholic school.

Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to engage with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Career Stage) focus area of:

1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students

1.2 Understand how students learn

1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds

1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities

2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area

2.2 Content selection and organisation

2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting

2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies

3.4 Select and use resources

3.5 Use effective classroom communication

3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs

6.1 Identify and plan professional learning needs

6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice

6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning

7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements

7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities

Outcomes combine these standards with the knowledge and understanding required to be eligible for accreditation to teach in a Catholic school.

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Written Assessment - 50%
2 - Presentation and Written Assessment - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Written Assessment - 50%
2 - Presentation and Written Assessment - 50%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

There are no required textbooks.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Kerry Aprile Unit Coordinator
k.aprile@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 13 Jul 2020

Module/Topic

My religious background, experience and practices and the contemporary context

Chapter

eReading list - Week 1

Events and Submissions/Topic

Please note that teaching for this unit is delivered through an intensive prior to the commencement of the Professional Practice 4 block placement. The schedule for the Intensive has been provided by the unit coordinator and covers the topics listed in Weeks 1 - 5 as shown in this schedule.  Further advice about a review tutorial prior to submission of the final assessment task will be provided on the moodle site for this unit.

Week 2 Begin Date: 20 Jul 2020

Module/Topic

What is Religious Education and how is it resourced?

Chapter

eReading list - Week 2

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 27 Jul 2020

Module/Topic

Pedagogy and student engagement in Religious Education

Chapter

eReading list - Week 3

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 03 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Religious Education curriculum, differentiation and assessment

Chapter

eReading list - Week four

Events and Submissions/Topic

Analysis and resource selection Due: Week 4 Tuesday (4 Aug 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 5 Begin Date: 10 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Planning in Religious Education (units of work and prayer experiences)

Chapter

eReading list - Week 5

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 17 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 24 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 31 Aug 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 07 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 14 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 21 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 28 Sep 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 05 Oct 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Planning, implementing and evaluating religious education programs Due: Week 12 Monday (5 Oct 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 12 Oct 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 19 Oct 2020

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Term Specific Information

Teaching for this unit occurs in an intensive block from Weeks 1 - 5 prior to the completion of the assessable block placement for Professional Practice 4.

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Analysis and resource selection

Task Description

This assessment task has two parts: Part A and Part B.  You must complete both parts to complete this task..

Part A: 

1. Examine the Diocesan Religion curriculum for a specific year level in the primary school.  (Where possible, the year selected should reflect the class in which you are placed for your final professional experience placement (Professional Practice 4).

2.  Identify sources of professional knowledge and quality reference materials or networks that will support / have supported your planning for the language and images of God you would use with students to:

(a) implement a unit of work in Religion; and

(b) plan a prayer experience for the class.

This section of the task should include critical reflection on the impact of teachers' personal and professional knowledge of teaching Religion in Catholic schools. Length: 500 words.


Part B:  Select one resource that could be used in a unit of work for the year level and provide a brief explanation of the unit focus and the purpose of the resource within the unit.  (This section of the task should be no more than two to three paragraphs.)

Evaluate / justify the suitability of your chosen resource for teaching an aspect of the Religion curriculum to a class group from diverse backgrounds. Length of justification: 250 words.


This task provides opportunities for demonstrating achievement of the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level): 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 3.4, 6.2, 7.4.


Assessment Due Date

Week 4 Tuesday (4 Aug 2020) 11:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Feedback on this assessment response will be provided in sufficient time to allow for academic support and advice as necessary to inform students' responses to the next assessment task.


Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

Understanding of the impact of teachers’ personal and professional knowledge on approaches to teaching religion (APST 1.1, 1.3)

Knowledge of Church documents and curriculum resources that guide planning and teaching in religion (APST 2.1, 7.4)

Selection of appropriate resources for teaching religious experience and beliefs in primary and early years contexts (APST 3.4)

Critical reflection on sources of professional learning for teachers of religious education (APST  6.2)


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Upload the submission throught the link for Assessment Task 1 on the moodle site for this unit.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Evaluate the impact of resources, support networks and teachers’ personal and professional knowledge base on approaches to teaching religion and expressing religious beliefs in Catholic schools
  • Justify planning decisions and strategies for teaching religion that are responsive to classroom complexity and the pluralistic religious backgrounds of students


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Cross Cultural Competence
  • Ethical practice

2 Presentation and Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Planning, implementing and evaluating religious education programs

Task Description

Preparation: With your supervising teacher, negotiate the focus for a unit of work from the Religion curriculum that you will be responsible for planning and teaching during your final Professional Practice placement (PP4). Plan a prayer experience for the class. 

You will submit a copy of your unit and the planned prayer experience at the conclusion of your placement along with the critical reflection outlined below.

Write a 1000 word critical reflection that:

(a) Evaluates your teaching of the Religion unit of work negotiated with your supervising teacher.  Specifically refer to the building of students' understanding of the content from the Religion curriculum; the promotion of inclusive participation in the planned learning activities for students from diverse religious, social and cultural backgrounds; and the ways in which the activities facilitate the development of cognitive skills.

(b) Explains and justifies the format and content of the prayer experience implemented including the structure, purpose and elements of The Arts and supportive literacy strategies used to facilitate participation and understanding of this expression of prayer.  


This task provides opportunities for demonstrating achievement of the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level): 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 7.1, 7.4


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Monday (5 Oct 2020) 11:45 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Feedback on this assessment task will be provided following moderation and in accordance with university policy on certification of grades.


Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

Justification and evaluation of design choices for promoting inclusive engagement and learning in religion (APST 1.5, 3.6, 4.1)

Understanding of the impact of students’ characteristics and backgrounds on learning in religion (APST 1.1, 1.2, 1.3)

Selection of texts and communication processes that reflect the beliefs and practices of the Catholic school community (APST 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 7.1, 7.4)

Knowledge of the content, planning processes and teaching approaches underpinning the Diocesan Religion curriculum (APST 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3.2, 4.1)


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Submit this assessment task through the link for Assessment Task 2 on the moodle site for this unit. A copy of the unit and the planned prayer experience must be included as appendices to the critical reflection.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Evaluate the impact of resources, support networks and teachers’ personal and professional knowledge base on approaches to teaching religion and expressing religious beliefs in Catholic schools
  • Design, implement and evaluate a unit of work for a specific class using local diocesan curriculum documents
  • Justify planning decisions and strategies for teaching religion that are responsive to classroom complexity and the pluralistic religious backgrounds of students
  • Reflect critically on student engagement, learning outcomes and the design of a class religious ritual and its celebration as a symbol of the beliefs and practices of the faith community of the Catholic school.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Cross Cultural Competence
  • Ethical practice

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?